How I survived my move and stayed connected through it all

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Key takeaways

• Moving to a home that’s not yet wired for internet service can add a layer of complexity to setting up internet
• Always subscribe to your internet service at least a few weeks before you move to ensure your new home is connected by the time you get there
• If your provider allows it, you can self-install your internet if your home is pre-wired for your connection type

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Moving is stressful and a lot of work — but it can also be an exciting time with new beginnings. That said, there’s not a person among us that wouldn’t love a few ways to make moving just a bit easier. I’m sharing my 2020 internet service journey with you and letting you know how the original setup is working in 2025. 

I moved during one of the hottest days of the year (mid-July, who would’ve guessed?) and in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, this wasn’t my first move, so I had an idea of what to expect.

What I hadn’t planned for were the snags that came with moving internet to a new house that was essentially not yet “on the grid,” combined with moving delays due to the ongoing virus.

Since both my husband and I work remotely, getting our internet appointment confirmed well ahead of time was a big priority for us. Working in the internet and telecommunications industry helped me anticipate delays in installation times due to COVID-19, installing internet at a home that does not already have wiring and because summer is the height of moving season in general.

Ordering your internet service

Before ordering your internet service, research connection types and the internet speed you need to ensure a suitable connection for your home. Not all connection types are available everywhere. Fiber, cable, 5G and satellite are the most common connection types, but DSL and dial-up still serve a small number of internet customers. 

Check provider availability at your address, and then determine the type of service you can get. Compare speed, price and perks of providers near you to get the best value for your money. Always verify that your new home is pre-wired for service — it may not be, which can add an extra step to your internet setup process.

Our internet expert’s experience

I ordered my service online two weeks before our move.

I recommend (and had planned) to order earlier than that, but, you know, procrastination. From speaking with our homebuilder and checking on Allconnect.com, I already knew the two options for internet in our new area were either Spectrum Internet or AT&T Fiber.

We decided to go with AT&T since they offered discounted internet and other promotional perks. We decided to rent our modem and router from AT&T, but AT&T now includes that fee in the monthly bill.

Ordering online was quick and easy, and there was even a place in the order flow for me to write directions to our new address. It was odd, however, that the only internet option listed for AT&T standalone internet was 1,000 Mbps. No other speed options were available.

Find providers available at your address

Internet provider availability varies by location, which is why entering your address is the first step when ordering internet service. While your neighbor may have access to one provider, your home could lack access to that same provider despite your close proximity.

Check availability

Or call us today: (844) 451-2720 (844) 451-2720

Installation

Once you’ve ordered your service, you can now focus on the installation process. If your home is pre-wired and your provider allows it, you can self-install your service. Your provider will send you the necessary equipment as well as instructions or an app you can use to connect your service right away. This is generally free and takes less than 30 minutes. If you’re able, this option can save you both time and money.

The other option is to schedule a professional installation appointment. If your home isn’t pre-wired for your type of service, this is required. Just set up a time for a technician to come to your new home to wire and connect your equipment.

Our internet expert’s experience

Our builder had told us that the house was fully wired for all internet services … our home was only pre-wired for cable, not fiber.

Although this was no fault of the AT&T technician, we did have a brief snag regarding installing wires and drilling into the side of the home. Namely, our builder had told us that the house was fully wired for all internet services. So, when the AT&T installer informed me that he would need to run lines to the home (from the box in our front yard) and drill holes in our house, I was a bit caught off guard. 

However, I quickly realized our builder had been mistaken (our home was only pre-wired for cable, not fiber). Plus, I figured that our technician would not have voluntarily spent close to two hours outside (did I mention it was the hottest day of the year?) if it wasn’t necessary.

Learn more about setting up your equipment.

Tips to stay online while moving to a new home

Moving homes is already a hectic experience, so staying online during that time can be a big help. You can always use your mobile data, if applicable, to access the internet, a mobile hotspot if you need to get some work done or even public Wi-Fi in a pinch. If you want to be connected as soon as you get to your new home, order your internet service at least a few weeks in advance and schedule any necessary installation appointments.

Our internet expert’s experience

Make sure to schedule your internet service transfer or activation in advance so you can get it set up quickly once you get to your new home.

Whether you’re transferring your internet service or choosing a new internet provider, staying connected during your move is important. Make sure to schedule your service transfer or activation in advance so you can get it set up quickly once you get to your new home. If you are transferring, this should be easy since you can just bring your equipment with you.

When you are between your old and new homes, you can stay connected by using mobile hotspots on your phone or public Wi-Fi.

Streamlining your internet setup

Moving can be stressful, but setting your internet up doesn’t have to be. Just make sure to do your research beforehand, understanding what you can access and the internet speed and type that would be best for your internet needs. Schedule your service in advance of your move to ensure you can get connected once you arrive at your new home.

Once you’re connected, test your internet connection with a speed test to check your download and upload speeds.

Our internet expert’s experience

If you have a day in between closing and moving, set the installation for that day.

Ordering service and getting it installed on time went great. It was a bit hectic trying to get service installed on our actual move-in date, but we wanted internet right away and didn’t get the keys until after closing the day before. Pro tip: If you have a day in between closing and moving, set the installation for that day. 

I recommend having a computer available at install to test the internet speed, which we did not. However, I ran several speed tests in the days and weeks following our installation to see if we got the advertised download speed of up to 1,000 Mbps. The results were very surprising.

• First test: Tuesday, 12:45 p.m., download speed of 100 Mbps
• Second test: Thursday, 2:00 p.m., download speed of 210 Mbps
• Third test: Friday, 1:30 p.m., download speed of 30 Mbps (while connected to my VPN). I disconnected from the VPN and then got a result of 215 Mbps

I was confused by my speed test results and the fact that I was routinely getting just 100 – 200 Mbps. To be clear, this speed is more than fast enough for our daily online activities, but the delta between the advertised and actual speed was unexpected.

Reasons the speed test results may have been slower than expected:

• There was one other laptop and two smartphones connected to the Wi-Fi at the same time during all three tests
• I don’t connect my computer with an Ethernet cable but rely purely on Wi-Fi
• I sometimes connect to a VPN

But we came up with a plan to boost our Wi-Fi connection. We experimented with optimizing our router settings and purchased our own equipment, like Wi-Fi extenders, to further boost our connection throughout our home.

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How it’s going: My internet connectivity in 2025

Since our initial move, we have kept AT&T as our ISP. We still use AT&T’s equipment as well because the equipment fee is included in our monthly bill — if we got our own, we’d just be paying extra.

One change we have made is introducing Wi-Fi extenders to our home internet setup to cover various dead spots throughout our home.

Wi-Fi extenders are a great way to expand internet coverage in your home. They are especially useful if you have dead spots, like we have. We called AT&T customer service, and they sent us a free Wi-Fi extender to boost our signal.

In one office of our home, we use an Ethernet cable to connect to our computer, which gives us a faster connection than our Wi-Fi. The Ethernet cable is also connected to our Wi-Fi extender.

Smart home manager

We started using an AT&T app called Smart Home Manager that helps us locate dead spots throughout our home. This way, we know exactly where to place our Wi-Fi extenders for optimal coverage.

The app also allows us to prioritize a specific device for several hours. If my husband or I are having a Zoom meeting, we can make sure our connection stays strong by optimizing our specific device in the app (we have over 10 devices in our home).

Moving checklist 

Keep these tips in mind while you navigate your move and setting up internet service: 

• Research connection types and the internet speed you need to support your household connectivity needs
• Verify your home is pre-wired for internet service
• Explore providers at your new home’s address
• Compare speeds, price, promotional perks and bundles to get the most out of your service 
• Schedule your service a couple of weeks before your move
• If your home is pre-wired and your provider allows it, you can self-install your internet, which can save you a hefty professional installation fee
• Schedule your professional installation appointment if necessary
• Test your internet speed to ensure your speeds are suitable

Find other ways to get the most out of your broadband at our Resource Center.

Moving internet service FAQs